ENGAGING IN ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE AGING EXPERIENCE

Abstract This symposium provides an overview of artistic and creative engagement methodologies to understand aging experiences. The first presentation examines a collaborative effort involving a researcher and filmmaker to film, edit, and produce a documentary about Irish Men’s Sheds to increase awareness of diversity within the dissemination of narrative stories. The second presentation focuses on drawing, investigating how young children socially and cognitively represent perceptions of human longevity and of the concept of what constitutes “old.” Children were asked questions regarding what it means to be “old” and what they might look like at 100 years, and to draw a self-portrait image. Findings demonstrating internal working models consistent with socially-learned attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes of aging. The third presentation explains digital narrative gerontology and a life story project of the older adult’s life created by younger and older adults. Thematic analysis revealed improved well-being, reduced generational stereotypes, and feelings of loneliness and isolation. The fourth presentation details an intergenerational project involving university students and older adults with cognitive impairment. Participants engaged in a six-week, telephone-based reminiscence experience and then co-created a storyboard/script to create a digital story. Thematic analysis demonstrated six themes: Family, religion and purpose in life, loves and hates, career/work, stress/coping, and major life turning points. The final presentation details music as a therapeutic intervention to improve older adults’ quality of life and foster social connections, self-understanding and expression. Observations from working with older adults in a variety of environments and preferred music styles will also be discussed.

% female, 22% having poor balance, 85% having limits in doing vigorous physical activity, 71% having limits in performing moderate physical activity, and 63.5% having pain interfere with normal activities.About half had financial problems sometimes, and 68 % reported living with a spouse and children.30% had hypertension and took antihypertensive medication.16% felt tired most of the time, and 11% felt nervous all the time.We found that urban older adults had a higher fall rate than rural older adults (52.8% vs. 40.4%,p =.034).Urban older adults also had a higher level of fear of falling than rural older adults (43.9% vs. 28.4%,p = .000016).Additionally, urban older adults had significantly worse general health than rural older adults (p =.0046).There were no significant differences in balance performance and fall self-efficacy scores.It is important to recognize and identify fall risk factors among urban older adults and provide access to systematic community-based fall prevention programs incorporating screening and tailored interventions based on those risk factors.

ENGAGING IN ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE AGING EXPERIENCE
Chair: Alexander Bishop Co-Chair: Melinda Heinz Discussant: Victor Fung This symposium provides an overview of artistic and creative engagement methodologies to understand aging experiences.The first presentation examines a collaborative effort involving a researcher and filmmaker to film, edit, and produce a documentary about Irish Men's Sheds to increase awareness of diversity within the dissemination of narrative stories.The second presentation focuses on drawing, investigating how young children socially and cognitively represent perceptions of human longevity and of the concept of what constitutes "old."Children were asked questions regarding what it means to be "old" and what they might look like at 100 years, and to draw a self-portrait image.Findings demonstrating internal working models consistent with socially-learned attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes of aging.The third presentation explains digital narrative gerontology and a life story project of the older adult's life created by younger and older adults.Thematic analysis revealed improved well-being, reduced generational stereotypes, and feelings of loneliness and isolation.The fourth presentation details an intergenerational project involving university students and older adults with cognitive impairment.Participants engaged in a six-week, telephone-based reminiscence experience and then co-created a storyboard/script to create a digital story.Thematic analysis demonstrated six themes: Family, religion and purpose in life, loves and hates, career/work, stress/coping, and major life turning points.The final presentation details music as a therapeutic intervention to improve older adults' quality of life and foster social connections, self-understanding and expression.Observations from working with older adults in a variety of environments and preferred music styles will also be discussed.
perception of stereotypes about other generations (Barbosa et al., 2021;Pentecouteau & Eneau, 2017), strengthen intergenerational solidarity, and help develop capital and social cohesion (Topping, 2020).Based on the theories of lifelong learning and intergenerational learning, our research engages digital narrative gerontology (Crettenand Pecorini, 2019).We have organized several meetings in pairs (elder -young) where each pair created a digital narrative from the oral narration of the elder life story, supported by the multimedia skills that the young adult acquired during the workshop we have set up.From individual and pairs semidirected interviews, logbooks, debriefings, and digital narrative, based on case study thematic analysis, our preliminary results confirm the results obtained in 2019: improved general well-being, reduction in the perception of generation stereotypes, reduction in feelings of loneliness and isolation, strengthening intergenerational solidarity, satisfaction to rediscover one's life or the projection of one's life stimulated by example, new knowledge acquisition, as well as the pride of artifact creation and its sharing.This innovative project can be applied in schools, colleges, and universities as well as in community centers and seniors' residences.

DIGITAL STORIES FROM AN INTERGENERATIONAL, TELEPHONE-BASED REMINISCENCE PROGRAM
Noelle Fields 1 , Ling Xu 1 , Brooke Troutman 2 , Kathryn Daniel 3 , Megan Westmore 4 , and Jessica Cassidy 3 , 1.The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States, 2. Air Force Academy, Air Force Academy, Colorado, United States,

University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States, 4. University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work, Arlington, Texas, United States
Reminiscence strategies combined with an intergenerational approach may yield social and mental health benefits for older adults with cognitive impairment.There is also evidence to support the use of digital storytelling (DST) with persons with cognitive impairment combined with intergenerational programs.DST typically involves the production of a two-tofive-minute audio-visual clip combining text, images, music, photographs, voice-over narration, and other audio.However, there are few studies that combine reminiscence, DST, and an intergenerational approach with persons with cognitive impairment.The current study is a thematic analysis of DST products created by university students in collaboration with older adults with cognitive impairment (N = 27) as part of a larger project examining how intergenerational reminiscence using DST may improve the social and emotional well-being of persons with memory loss.After the completion of a structured, six-week, telephone-based reminiscence, the younger and older adults co-created a storyboard and script as well as selected photos and music to accompany the narrative in the DST.An interactive team approach using the phases of thematic analysis of the DST products resulted in six themes: 1) family, 2) religion and purpose in life, 3) loves and hates, 4) career/work, 5) stress and coping, and 6) major life turning points.Sub-themes included childhood and early adulthood, family legacy, faith, volunteering, travel, music, and resilience.Findings from the study extend current research by examining intergenerational connections, reminiscence, and the use of DST with persons with memory impairment.We close with recommendations for practice and research.